Full Breakdown
Monasterio’s 10th-Inning Homer Lifts Red Sox Over Athletics
7/30/2026, 9:32:34 PM
Game Summary
On July 29, 2026, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Oakland Athletics 4–2 at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. The decisive moment came in the top of the 10th inning when shortstop Andruw Monasterio launched a 428-foot two-run home run off right-hander José Suarez, turning a 2–2 tie into a 4–2 lead. Reliever Greg Weissert closed the game in the bottom of the 10th for his first save of the season, preserving the victory.
Background & Context
Boston entered the game with a 56-51 record and an MLB-best 19-4 mark in July, a stretch that began on July 1 and had not seen back-to-back losses since the June 30–July 1 span. The Red Sox had previously endured a 10-game road winning streak that ended the night before, and they were struggling to convert runners in scoring position, going 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position and leaving 13 men on base before Monasterio’s heroics.
Data & Statistics
- Final score: Red Sox 4, Athletics 2.
- Hits: Red Sox 12, Athletics 8.
- Errors: Red Sox 1 (Monasterio’s grounder), Athletics 0.
- Starting pitchers: Patrick Sandoval (Red Sox) allowed two runs on five hits, two walks and seven strikeouts over five innings; Jacob Lopez (Athletics) yielded one earned and one unearned run on seven hits, two walks and eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
- Bullpen performance: Boston’s relievers combined for seven strikeouts over five innings, maintaining the lead after the 7th.
- Individual highlights: Monasterio’s 10th-inning homer was his third hit of the night; Caleb Durbin recorded three hits; Jahmai Jones homered in the fifth; Jonah Heim and Lawrence Butler each hit solo homers for Oakland.
Official Statements & Responses
Interim manager Chad Tracy noted that the team “did enough to win” despite the offensive struggles, emphasizing the importance of the bullpen’s “outstanding” work in high-leverage moments. He also praised Sandoval’s “crisp” stuff and the relievers’ ability to “get through” the middle innings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We pitched exceptionally well in some very high-leverage moments today, that was certainly one of them,” — Chad Tracy, sox interim manager
- “Chappy, how many years in the league? And he’s still doing it,” — Andruw Monasterio
- “He hit it good when the ball left the bat. I was just praying, ‘Please stay down, stay in the yard.’” — Chad Tracy, sox interim manager
- “Situations like that one, always you try to get the strikeout and go for it, but you don’t always get the results that you want,” — Aroldis Chapman
- “I truly believe we have the best bullpen in baseball — stats aside,” — Justin Slaten
On-the-Ground Reports
Oakland’s Lawrence Butler celebrated what he thought was a walk-off home run in the ninth, only to discover the ball had cleared the wall and the game continued. The premature celebration highlighted the tension of the close contest. Fans in the stadium witnessed Monasterio’s celebration with teammate Romy Gonzalez after the decisive blast.
What's Next
Boston’s rotation is slated to start Sonny Gray (12-2, 2.78 ERA) in the series finale on Thursday, giving the Red Sox another opportunity to extend their July winning streak.
